Jail intake center proposed

Commissioner says Hill site would slash transportation costs

Knox County Commissioner Richard Briggs will bring a proposal to commission next month proposing construction of a new jail intake center on the lawn of the City County Building. The facility would eliminate long drives that Knoxville police must take to the Knox County Detention Facility in East Knox County to process suspects.

Knox County Commission next month will consider a plan to build a new $12 million jail intake center adjacent to the City County Building, a move that could save up to $1 million a year in prisoner transportation costs.

"I sat down with Sheriff Jimmy 'J.J.' Jones," said County Commissioner Richard Briggs, who's sponsoring the proposal. "We're spending $800,000 to $1 million a year on gas transporting prisoners back and forth between downtown and (the Knox County Detention Facility on) Maloneyville Road. The majority are short-term prisoners. They have 20 full-time transportation officers."

Briggs said Jones has proposed building a jail intake center with 40 beds to hold inmates up to 72 hours. It would be on the one-acre lawn on Hill Avenue and would provide a central location for processing people who are arrested.

"They're still having architects look at this," Briggs said. "There would be one story below ground and one story above ground and a tunnel under Hill (Avenue) to the City County Building." The tunnel would be used to move prisoners from the intake center to the City County Building for court appearances.

In addition to the savings for gas, the center would save wear and tear on the paddy wagons and "you would keep those officers as patrol officers out in the county doing what they should be doing instead of transporting prisoners," Briggs said.

It's about 14 miles from downtown to the detention facility, and the Knoxville Police Department has argued for putting an intake center downtown for a decade, after former Sheriff Tim Hutchison moved it to East Knox County. Now, if a paddy wagon is not available, officers must transport people to the detention facility instead of spending that time on patrol.

"It's a lot of time, a lot of money," KPD spokesman Darrell DeBusk said. "It would save our department with money, fuel and time for officers to get back in service. We will start doing some research and will be prepared to answer questions at the December meeting."

Dwight Van de Vate, spokesman for the mayor, said in a statement: "It would be premature to offer any opinion until we have an opportunity to examine Dr. Briggs' proposal and to evaluate a number of things, including the financial implication."

Sheriff's spokeswoman Martha Dooley said Jones will not comment on the proposal before the Dec. 15 commission meeting.

Meanwhile, the Public Building Authority will seek public input at a Dec. 4 hearing on use of the lawns at the City County Building, including the green space where Briggs will propose the intake center and the Main Street lawn.

PBA is working with city and county officials on how to use the lawns. Draft policies would allow only a monument or memorial on the Main Avenue lawn. Construction on the Hill Avenue site would require approval by City Council, County Commission and PBA, which operates the building.

Any structure on the Hill Avenue lawn must be "visually compatible with the design of the City County Building," according to the draft policies. In addition, the roof cannot extend above the level of the Main Street lawn. The exception would be an elevator and stair tower at Hill Avenue and Walnut Street to connect a pedestrian bridge leading over Hill Avenue to the Volunteer Landing bridge.

Structures to be built on the Hill Avenue lawn would require a grassy and landscaped roof with space for benches and "other passive recreation amenities," according to PBA.

Briggs noted that another benefit to the project would be to end the threat of escape by a dangerous inmate while officers are transporting prisoners. The intake center project, if approved, would come out of next year's budget, Briggs said.

Hutchison moved the county's jail intake center from downtown Knoxville to Maloneyville Road in December 1998. The intake center is where police agencies bring suspects to be fingerprinted and photographed. Hutchison said the move was made to protect the safety of the public and officers, noting several escapes.

At the time, former Police Chief Phil Keith criticized the move, saying it would cost his officers more time and money.